Guitar Hero Video Game to Feature Gibson Guitar Models

RedOctane has announced an exclusive deal with musical giant Gibson Guitar where several famous Gibson models will be featured in the new game Guitar Heroâ„¢, the rock â€˜n roll guitar video game coming in the fall of 2005 to the PlayStationÂ®2 computer entertainment system.

â€œGibson guitars are an essential American rock element revered by musical artists worldwide for their incredible style and amazing sound.â€ said Kai Huang, CEO of RedOctane. â€œThis is the first time a guitar manufacturer has been exclusively featured in a video game, and weâ€™re excited to be working with such an iconic company.â€

â€œGibson Guitar is the perfect partner for this high energy game from RedOctane,â€ said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO Gibson Guitar. â€œGibson is every Guitar Heroâ€™s instrument of choice and now they can have it in a rock-n-roll simulation game too.â€

The deal calls for a strategic partnership that not only includes in-game marketing opportunities for Gibson Guitar but also co-branded events and onsite tour promotions.

â€œSeeing Gibson guitars in the game adds a sense of realism to Guitar Hero, that we feel will really appeal to rock fans.â€ said John Tam, game producer of Guitar Hero. â€œThe game is going to feature a number of legendary Gibson guitars, and players will be able to choose from a number of different paint schemes for each.â€

Guitar Hero, developed by veteran music video game creator Harmonix, combines the best of rhythm game action with classic American music. The game puts you at center stage of your very own rock band, featuring unique characters, a selection of Gibson electric guitars to play and concert venues that grow in size as your music career progress. The title includes over 30 licensed rock songs including tracks originally made famous by such artists as Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, Boston, Sum 41, Audioslave, White Zombie, Franz Ferdinand, and The Ramones. The game has been met with rave reviews in the gaming community, winning â€œBest of Show 2005â€ at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) and was one of twenty-five games invited to demonstrate at â€œG-Phoriaâ€ â€“ G4 videogame TVâ€™s annual award show in Los Angeles.

For more information on Guitar Hero and game bundle pre-order information, please visit www.guitarherogame.com